Ex-Armed Forces chief replaces Lim at Customs

President Benigno Aquino 3rd has appointed former Armed Forces of Philippines Chief Jessie Dellosa as one of the Deputy Commissioners of the Bureau of Customs, replacing ex-soldier Danilo Lim, a. Palace official said Saturday.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte made the announcement almost two months after President Aquino shamed the Bureau of Customs in his fourth State of the Nation Address by calling its officials for having too much gall to stay in office despite their failure to curb smuggling of illegal drugs and arms, among others.

“Jessie Dellosa was appointed Deputy Commissioner for the Intelligence Group and the appointment was signed by the President yesterday,” Valte told state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

Dellosa, who served as the Armed Forces Chief from December 2011 to January 2013 , also worked as the commanding officer of the Special Reaction Unit of the Presidential Security Group during the time of the President’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

Lim has said that influential government officials have been hampering the performance of the Bureau of Customs, but he has refused to name names.

Aside from Dellosa, other officials who were appointed by President Aquino in the Customs bureau include: Primo Aguas as Deputy Commissioner for Management Information Systems and Technology Group and Agaton Teodoro Uvero as Deputy Commissioner for Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group.

Aguas replaced Maria Caridad Manarang while Uvero took over the helm of Prudencio Reyes.

Aside from the new Customs Deputy Commissioners, two incumbent government officials were also appointed in the Customs bureau namely: Director Myrna Chua of the Department of Budget and Management as Deputy Commissioner for Internal Administration Group and Assistant Secretary Ma. Edita Tan from the Department of Finance as Deputy Commissioner for the Revenue Collection Monitoring Group. LLANESCA T. PANTI